Bruce Springsteen Cancels Show in North Carolina

On April 8, 2016, Bruce Springsteen released a statement that he and the E Street Band had canceled their show on April 10 in Greensboro, North Carolina due to the passing of the HB2 bill.

The H2 Bill, also known as House Bill 2, “the bathroom bill,” and officially known as the “Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act,” is an anti-LGBTQ+ law that requires transgender individuals to use bathrooms according to their sex at birth. The law is based on the belief your genitalia defines your gender, and because of this, the law is causing friction in North Carolina communities.

The Boss announced on his website and his Twitter the cancellation and has vehemently voiced his opinion regarding HB2. The statement makes a mark when Bruce says:

“No other group of North Carolinians faces such a burden. To my mind, it’s an attempt by people who cannot stand the progress our country has made in recognizing the human rights of all of our citizens to overturn that progress…As a result, and with deepest apologies to our dedicated fans in Greensboro, we have canceled our show scheduled for Sunday, April 10th. Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry — which is happening as I write — is one of them.”

The HB2 bill has been one of the most heated legislation in the past weeks.

The language in the bill regards gender as “biological sex” and a “physical condition of being male or female.” Segments of the business community in North Carolina are opposed to the bill.

While the HB2 bill is backed by the Freedom Restoration Act in it’s reasoning, but appears to violate Title IX simultaneously.

When people in power can voice their dissatisfaction with an anti-LGBTQ+ bill it helps, but when are results seen?

Musicians like Springsteen and corporations like ESPN and the NCAA are vocalizing their discontent to HB2. The compliance of HB2 is active, so transgender individuals must follow the bill or else they face penalties, or as many of us are aware, violence and severe backlash.

Protecting citizens should be mandatory in federal or state law. When you take away human rights to individuals, expect many to stand united to help.